As Real As It Gets
by Miyagi-Chihane
Summary: [yaoi MitMiya] Everyone changes... but not every change is the right one... so what will you do? Change too?


Title: As Real As It Gets

Author: Miyagi Chihane

Genre: YAOI, romance, drama

Pairing: MitMiya

Warning: Unedited…cussing and lemon on later chapters.

Disclaimer: I don't own Slam Dunk. I don't even own a single share of company stock!

Author's Notes: I'm back! Hehehehe I'm a bit rusty, but I worked so hard on this fic so I hope you would comment on it. This is dedicated to all who stood by my last fic, "Going for Broke" and my still unfinished fic, "The Gay Theory." Nobody makes MitMiyas anymore so here it is. Hope someone will write MitMiyas coz even I need a MitMiya fix every now and then. Btw, the university really exists. This fic is a product of so much research to make sure it is close to real. But this is fiction. The situation about to be presented never happened at KIT.

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Chapter One

The small bedroom seemed empty at first glance. There was no sign of movement amongst the clothes strewn all over the room, specially on the bed where two clack bags lay, open and brimming with articles of clothing just stuffed carelessly inside. Then a rubber shoe was flung out from beneath the bed, followed by its pair just a few seconds later. Then a boy of average height emerged from under the bed with clothes in his hands, which he just stuffed into one of the already overflowing bags. He ran his hand through his curly locks to get rid of any dust mites that clung to it during his search for the rubber shoes. He sighed and threw the bags a disgusted look.

_'This room is a mess,'_ Miyagi thought. _'and I'm not even half done.'_

Miyagi stood there debating on whether he could just bolt and leave his room in all its disorderly splendor for his mom to take care of. Anyway, he was leaving for college and this day marked the end of his ownership of the room. His greedy little sister had always prayed for the day Miyagi would leave home so she could move in on his territory.

"Since she wants this room so bad, she should go and clean it, " Miyagi mumbled. The only thing that kept him from leaving the room in complete disarray was the thought that his mom wouldn't like it. He didn't want to disobey her since his allowance would be in her hands.

And so with a sigh of resignation, Miyagi grabbed all the stuff he didn't need for college and placed them in a basket his mother got for him. The basket would be placed in his little sister's room after she moved into his. Then he jabbed at his clothes and pushed them down hard into his bags until he was able to close the zipper. Then he stepped back and admired his handiwork. Ok, so the room was still dusty, but at least there wasn't any clutter. The bags looked like little deformed black paper bags with handles but Miyagi figured that in college, everyone would be too busy to really care about one, single freshman with hideously deformed bags.

Also, he had someone to back him up in case his first days didn't go too well. Miyagi sat on his bed and took the letter which sat atop his bedside table. The letters were all from Mitsui Hisashi, a former enemy of his who turned out to be one of the greatest friends he had in high school.

He was going to attend the Kyushu Institute of Technology, partly because Mitsui was there. Another reason was that KIT was located in Fukuoka City in Kyushu. Being an island away from home spelled independence for Miyagi. Not only that, but according to Mitsui's letters, the older boy was a member of the basketball varsity and having a blast in college. Miyagi couldn't wait to play basketball again. It seemed like ages since he last stepped into the court.

Miyagi sighed as he laid back in bed. In his hand was the most recent of Mitsui's letters. It read;

_Sorry I don't reply as often. You know how it is… you're part of the basketball team, you have to be seen everywhere. There are so many things that need to be done that frankly, I wish I didn't do. You have to take part in the school's extracurricular activities, you have to be in committees and you have to live up to your reputation and work on your social status. It's hard being popular any all. If I didn't love the game so much, I would quit. Engineering is already hard as it is._

When Miyagi finally decided to go to KIT, his parents wouldn't let him, considering he didn't have relatives in Fukuoka. The one thing Miyagi was banking on was that Mitsui would let him stay at his flat. At first Mitsui came across as non-committal at first, but Miyagi shrugged it off, blaming it on Mitsui's hectic life. It was when Miyagi said that he didn't want to be a bother that Mitsui relented and said he was always welcome to stay at the older boy's flat.

Miyagi was ecstatic. Even though he knew Mitsui had a busy schedule, he was hoping that he and the older boy could spend some time together, reminiscing about their high school days and carrying on like they did before.

Miyagi bit his lip. Even with all the daydreaming and hoping, he had to admit that he was worried. During his first letters, Mitsui had been enthusiastic and just bursting with stories. He would relate to Miyagi letters from Kogure and Akagi, and he would ask Miyagi how Shohoku, Rukawa and Sakuragi were doing. But as the year went by, Mitsui's letters became shorter, less frequent and repetitive, as if he had nothing more to write about. But Miyagi knew that once he was there, he would know what happened. There would always be some logical explanation and his worried would be resolved.

It would be like the good old days.

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Miyagi yawned and looked out disinterestedly at the scenery outside the moving train. He was enthusiastic about being in a different city, but the train was moving too fast for him to catch anything of significance. It was a warm April morning and all he saw outside the train was a blur of intense colors. Also, he wasn't interested in the scenery. What fascinated him the most was the lifestyle. He knew college would be different. Different people, different interests… it would be all to much for him to grasp. He knew college was a time to 'grow up' and be serious with his studies and he had planned on doing just that – but attending a few parties here and there wouldn't hurt either.

He turned his attention to the envelope in his hands. On it was his acceptance letter to KIT, registration procedures, and a guide map to the Tobata campus. His heart was beating fast and despite that he had to get up early in the morning to get to Fukuoka City, he wasn't particularly tired. Miyagi still couldn't believe that he passed KIT's rigorous exams. Sure, KIT was no Tokyo University, where Ayako was, but still, Miyagi felt the tense competition during the exams. It was really tough and he knew he had to get ahead by going into something which he knows a lot about. His father argued that 'someone like him' could never pass a biology or nursing course. His old man suggested weird sounding courses like interdisciplinary and international foreign what-have-you courses, to which he got the response, "HELL NO!"

So what did he end up taking?

Information Engineering.

Okay, so it wasn't an ingenious idea. For one, he liked engineering. To him it was the course all manly guys should go to, not sissy sounding courses. He also liked computers. Not in a geeky way, but in a cool way. Much to his parent's dismay, he spent much of his allowance on better video and sound cards for wicked games. He also spent money on a security program ever since his little sister did some snooping around and unearthed his porn stash. And in the end, he chose Information Engineering because he would be going to the same campus as Mitsui does. It wasn't an exact science, but here he was, on his way to KIT now.

"Of course I'm on my way," Miyagi muttered under his breath. "I sacrificed a lot of things to get here. I'd be damned if I'm still not going."

After he took over as captain, Miyagi began to see how hectic everyone had become over college. Akagi and Kogure were attending cramming school and even Mitsui was taking time to study every now and then, though the older boy wouldn't show it. Ayako, with her neat calligraphy had mapped out, on a huge piece of paper, steps to get into Tokyo University and encouraged Miyagi to do the same. He dedicated his 2nd semester of his sophomore year to basketball but during his senior year, he didn't go out into the court that often. Instead he began to train his replacement and other newcomers to make sure Shohoku was in good hands.

He followed Akagi and Kogure's footsteps and resigned from the team during the 2nd semester of his senior year to concentrate on his studies, turning over the role of captain to Rukawa, not because he thought Sakuragi was irresponsible but because over the span of a year, Sakuragi had become extremely famous and had a lot of sidelines to attend to.

He also had to give up Ayako. Well, actually, he HAD to give her up, considering that she got herself a boyfriend during their senior year. A real preppy guy studying Business Administration at Tokyo University and her reason for wanting to study there. It had been hard, but Miyagi had learned to let go of his feelings for Ayako, and concentrated his efforts instead, on making his life better. It would figure that serious types like Ayako would go for bookish guys. Miyagi simply took comfort in the fact that if he played his cards right, he would be really successful one day and maybe…just maybe, Ayako would be proud of him.

He knew his efforts paid off, since he was on a train bound for Kyushu-kodai-mae. Who would have thought that a punk like him would go to a prestigious college? And who wouldn't' thought that Mitsui would not only have passed but is doing great? Miyagi knew that if it could work out for Mitsui, then college would be a snap.

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Miyagi stood, pacing about Kyushu-kodai-mae station, for a moment feeling lost in the hustle and bustle of an unfamiliar city. Deciding to walk towards his destination, which was Mitsui's flat, he shifted his bags to a more comfortable position and headed south, as Mitsui instructed him to do so. He mentally reconstructed Mitsui's complicated instructions, stopping here and there to sweep his gaze across unfamiliar surroundings.

The sun was already up over the city and in the 6 minutes that it took Miyagi to walk from the station to the flat, the boy was absolutely parched. Finally he came across a block where a number of flats stood, side by side. He stopped outside the one nearest to the curb and looked up at the cream and white colored terraces. Mitsui said that the entrance to his flat was near the curb by the phone booth.

Miyagi looked at the green phone booth beside him. "This must be the place." He mumbled and stepped into the building.

Walking across the hall, he passed by other people roughly his age. Despite his convictions, they would stare at his bags, probably because it looked like a human body had been stuffed inside. Miyagi guessed that they were students who also found the dorm fees abominable.

But for his part, the decision to stay in a flat was more that just atrocious fees. As he took the stairs to the 2nd floor where Mitsui's room was located, he felt his heartbeat quicken and he was elated with the feeling that pushed him to his decision: the sweet taste of freedom.

And here was freedom, in the form of a maroon colored door with a brass handle. Miyagi looked at the door to Mitsui's room, and could hardly keep himself from smiling.

'This is it. Room 209.'

He knocked on the door excitedly, shifting his bags again to give mercy to his tired shoulders. Almost immediately, he heard a familiar voice call out, "Come in! It's open!"

Miyagi's heart jumped at the sound of his former teammate's voice. He gripped the doorknob tightly before opening the door. What greeted him was loud music that bleared from a tiny radio and a slightly messy room, in the idle of which stood Mitsui Hisashi with a pair of jeans on, shirtless, barefoot, and toweling dry his wet hair.

Mitsui looked like he just stepped off the showers. Miyagi stared at him, noting small changes in his former teammate. If Miyagi could forget where they were right now, the older boy looked as he always did after he took a shower after basketball practice back at Shohoku. But this Mitsui looked a little stubby., as if he had neglected to shave for a few days now. His body was still in pretty good shape but he looked like he lost a few pounds. His hair was still the same, cropped yet a little longer and somewhat mangy.

Mitsui had stopped drying his hair and was looking at his guest. His eyes widened a little at the site of Miyagi and he stood rooted to the spot, not knowing what to say. Finally, "Hey," he mumbled.

"Hey," was Miyagi's elaborate reply. "Uhm… nice place you got here. "

"Yeah, well, it's kinda messy. I had to re-arrange a few things for your arrival." Mitsui draped the towel over his shoulders, walked towards Miyagi and took hold of one of the shorter boy's bags. "Follow me."

Miyagi nodded and followed Mitsui through the room. It was a small, one-room studio. The sofa bed had been laid out for him, complete with a bed sheet, a blanket and some pillows.

Mitsui put Miyagi's bag down on top of the sofa bed. "You don't have to worry about having to put this thing back up every morning. Leave it down, nobody minds. Also, I moved the bookcase between the bed and the front door so you'd have some privacy. There are drawers beneath the bookcase where you can put your things in."

"Arigatou Mitsui san," Miyagi said, putting down his bag beside the other. "Are you sure I won't be a bother?"

Mitsui smiled. "Nah. It would be fun to live with somebody. This place is a boring mess. Also, it helps to have someone share the expenses. Gomen, but I can't show you around right now. I have somewhere to go. You know how it is," his smile widened. "Busy, busy, busy."

Miyagi laughed. "Yeah, I could see that. You don't even have time to clean up anymore. I'll be gone too. I have to get my schedule and all. Don't worry about me. I won't get lost."

"Cool. Anyway, the spare key to the room is on the study table," Mitsui gestured towards an oak desk filled with stacks of papers and books. "There's still food on the fridge and well… Make yourself at home." Mitsui patted Miyagi on the shoulder. "Maybe tonight we can hang out okay?" Mitsui said as he disappeared into the bedroom.

"Sure!" Miyagi called out, looking across the room excitedly. He sat down on the bed and opened the bookcase drawers. As he began to unpack, Mitsui stepped out into the room, fully-dressed.

"If anyone calls, don't answer. The machine will pick it up," Mitsui instructed, pocketing his keys and his wallet. "You sure you're alright?"

"Of course! I'm not some kid you know," Miyagi smiled. "Later, man."

"Sure. Later!"

Miyagi looked around the room again as Mitsui left. So much for the wonderful reunion, but Miyagi shrugged his disappointment away. Mitsui was busy and Miyagi could understand that. And they were living under the same roof so interaction was inevitable.

The room wasn't much but it was what Miyagi expected Mitsui's pad to be. The first thing you would see as you enter the room was the half-empty bookcase parallel to the door in such a way that it made a little hallway, at the end of which was a mirror where Mitsui was standing in front of when he arrived. Behind the bookcase was the living room turned bedroom. The kitchen was located at the far end of the room. It was small, consisting of a small fridge, an oven and a small bar which served as the dining area. Two wooden doors adjacent to each other probably led to Mitsui's room and the bathroom respectively. A glass door to the side led to the terrace. The room was simply furnished and the only other luxuries in the room was a fan, the answering machine, a tv and a radio, which Miyagi turned off.

Miyagi frowned. Was it just him or was the place really lonesome and forlorn without the other boy? Miyagi now got Mitsui's point about his place being a boring mess. The place was comfortable but really depressing when it's silent and you're all alone.

Miyagi headed for the fridge as he suddenly remembered his thirst. He was getting himself a glass of water when the phone rang. Startled, Miyagi instinctively moved towards the phone when he remembered Mitsui's instruction. He stood in the middle of the room, waiting for the machine to pick up the call. Then –

"Mitsui kun?" came an unfamiliar, male voice. "Drat, you left already. Anyway, I'm with the committee in charge of the matriculation ceremony and the school's just a big mess. Are we still on for tonight? I hope so. Thanks. Just call me when you have the time. Anyway, I have to go. Sensei's about to lose his head." A peal of laughter. "Call me! Ja!"

Miyagi stared at the phone, for whatever reason, he had no idea whatsoever. The guy's voice bothered him. And something about what he said bothered Miyagi too.

"Wait a minute…" Miyagi played the message again.

_Anyway, I'm with the committee in charge of the matriculation ceremony……… Are we still on for tonight?_

Miyagi blinked. The Matriculation Ceremony!

"Aw crap!" Miyagi cursed as he looked inside his bags for the money laid out for his matriculation. "I'm not even enrolled yet!" He got out his matriculation procedures, grabbed the spare key and sprinted out the door, closing it with a bang.

The sound of the door was immediately followed by the ringing of the phone.

"Hello, Mitsui kun? It's me again. I hope you come back soon. Anyway, I'm sorry but… I have to cancel tonight. It's just really hectic here. You know how it is. Anyway, after the school year starts we can spend more time together. Call me, ja ne! Mwuaaaaahhh!"

A beeping sound followed, and the room was still again.

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A/N: phew! Hope you guys enjoy and review! It's hard to type this out on the school laboratory TT


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